The Washington critic., 1887-02-02
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

TOPICS 0F THE DAY.
The wives of the Justices of the Su.
preme Court have more of the feeling
of n home and pernanence In Wash.
ington than any If the other ladies of
official circles, says the Hcydld'S WASH
ington correspondent Some of them
have moved in society here for more
than twenty years, and they are sup.
posed to be well known everywhere.
One of them, In calling the other day,
fell into the hands of voluble assist.
ant, who poured upon her steady
stream of machine conversation. The
assistant, after rattling along for
awhile, said to the Justices wife:
Have you been here long2 Is this
your first visit to Washington Don't
you like itI" II have been here
twenty" "Oh then you are resi-.
dent, and how much you must enjoy
living here, and how nice 1t must be
for you to see all the high officials and
handsome houses and of course you
go TO the White House on Saturday
afternoons. The Justices wife was
fast reddening under this stream of
misapprehension, but, after the glib
assistant had asked If her husband was
in business here, the Justices wife set
down her tea.cup emphatically and
said; my husband has been Justice
of the Supreme Court for twenty five
years
The Postofllce Department has sem
sation brewing which the Washington
correspondent of the Boston TrarGller
says will rival that of the famous viii.
son-Moen mystery. One of the mes
sengers In that department, who re-
ceives but $50 month from the Gov
ernment, has astonished his associates
by the frequency and regularity Of cer-
tain remittances. Generally he received
800 week, but sometimes he showed
orders for as much as $500. The mes
senger has several traits like Wilson,
but he does not seem 10 know how to
keep his mouth shut as well as the
Worcester plaintiff. In various con.
vcrsations with his official associates he
has said that this money came from a
certain United States Senator, who, he
declares, supported him for seven
years in Europe, and made him hand.
some present when he was married.
After his arrival in America this same
Senator procured him his present place
in the Postoilice Department.
~
In speaking of the wives of Sena.
tors, who are in Washington society,
Randolph Keim of the Philadelphia
Times says: The first lady in con-
tinuity of Senatorial residence at
Washington is the wife of Senator
Morrill, of Vermont. She was Miss
Ruth Swan of Stoughton, near Bos.
ton. Her father and brothers are emf
nently known In the medical profession.
She is an elderly lady of aristocratic
appearance, and presldes over the
Senator's handsome residence on
Thomas Circle with great dignity and
affability. She is assisted by her sis
ter, Miss Swan, lady of middle years,
vice president of the Washington
Asylum for Colored Women and Or.
phans. The second lady in rank in
Senatorial longevity Is Mrs. Edmunds,
daughter of Wyllys Lyman, of the
Connecticut family of that name,
whose father settled at the mouth
of White river during the early part of
the century. She is granddaughte
of Charles March, Representative
from Vermont in Congress during the
administration of Madison. Mrs. Ed.
munds is a lady of small figure and
quiet and retiring manner. Her
daughter, Miss Mary M. Edmunds, as
sists her mother in doing the honors OF
the elegant new residence of the Sena.
tor. She is an excellent conversation.
alist. Owing to the loss of daughter
several years ago and the poor health OF
Mrs. and Miss Edmunds, the Senator S
house Is not the scene Of fashionable
gaieties. Mrs. Cheney, tall, quecnly
and agreeable lady, made her first ap
pearance In society, In Washington
this season as the wife of Senator
1t Is, however, not her first winter here
having passed several seasons at the
Capital superintendiug the cluca
tion of her daughter, Agnes, VIII,
will make her formal entrance
into society next season. This bcaut
ful young lady now assists her mother
in receiving. Mrs. Cheney was Mis-
Sarah w. White of Lowell. Hei
father. Lowell manufacturer, was th,
first person to employ power in the max
ing of card clothing. When she be
came Mrs. Cheney in 1850, she was Mrs
Keith, widow, residing in Illinois
During the war she came to Washintol
and nursed her husband, then an office
In the Thirteenth New Hampshire regl
ment, through prolracted and almos
fatal Illness, and from which he onl,
recovered through the care of his dc
voted wife,
-
MIR. Cleveland is fond OF the theatre
says "Armeil of the Nashville Ame,
lean, and seldom allows star actor o
actress TO leave the city without til
honor of his presence. Like Lincoln
he says that the theatre affords hlr
rest. His fair bride, II she now ma
be termed bride, though her beaut
is not n question, always accompanie
him. noticed one night at the kirme
that the President, whose entrance wa
the signal for applause all over tn
house, took seat slightly behind hel
an act which was In keeping with hi
modest demeanor in public, aud, pei
haps, equally prompted by pardon
able pride In the lady of his heart
whose charms he would not dim fror
the refined audience by obtrudin